


Mistletoe

by y8ungho



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: JohnYu, M/M, WE NEED MORE JOHNYU CONTENT, past angst, side jaeyong, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 15:26:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17185559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/y8ungho/pseuds/y8ungho
Summary: In which Yuta finds a way to close the space between him and his workaholic boyfriend, using a very special plant.





	Mistletoe

𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟰𝘁𝗵, 𝟴:𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗺, 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵.

Yuta Nakamoto lounged among the cushions, scrolling through his phone. The apartment was all decked out in Christmas decor, with Yuta’s signature style: the throw blanket on the other side of the couch a tasteful red and silver, the Christmas tree adorned with tinsel and glass ornaments with a gold star at the top, and a breathtaking arrangement of holly and poinsettias on the dining table. Along with the soft Christmas piano music playing from the speaker and the faint smell of peppermint tea wafting from the mug on the coffee table, the whole space exuded warmth and cheer, but there was one thing missing. One thing that was extremely crucial to the life of the apartment, and to Yuta’s life in particular.

Yuta sighed restlessly. Johnny should’ve been home by now, he thought, punctuating the air with another deep sigh. Sure, he was out there stunning the world with his amazing photography: Yuta was the first one to congratulate the lanky man when he ran into the apartment, eyes wet and shining, the offer letter in his hand. Johnny had pulled Yuta into his embrace, had led him though a waltz around the living room, the shorter Japanese man burying his face in the other’s neck, pressing kisses and whispering “congratulations, you deserve it, you deserve everything” into the skin and the taller kissing the top of his head through his tears. Sure, Yuta was proud of his boyfriend of 3 years. But he didn’t anticipate the huge impact it would have on their relationship.

At first, it was fine. At 6 am, Johnny would shift in his sleep and get up, the rustling of the sheets shaking Yuta, a professed light sleeper, out of his slumber. He would shower, brush his teeth, slip into his usual sweater or hoodie and jeans, grab his camera and backpack, and press a kiss to Yuta’s forehead, only to be dragged in for a deeper one (sometimes they lost track of time, resulting in a very flustered Johnny running out of the apartment, Yuta looking on with the silliest grin gracing his swollen lips). He would stop by the flower shop where Yuta was the head florist at 2 in the afternoon, carrying two tomato and mozzarella paninis in one hand and a drink carrier in the other, and they would sit among the bellflowers and begonias, eating and talking about their day so far. Yuta would laugh at Johnny’s cheesy jokes (the thing that drew the two to each other in the first place) and Johnny would throw a huge fake fit but finally acquiesce to Yuta weaving lily of the valley and baby’s breath through his floppy dark hair. They would both reach the apartment at 6 in the evening, the two of them working in comfortable silence to the radio (punctuated by the occasional headbanging and scream singing session when a really good song came on) as they made dinner, then they would settle at the table, Johnny pulling his infamous footsie trick as they ate, Yuta rolling his eyes but giggling nonetheless. The day usually wrapped up with Johnny and Yuta cuddling on the couch with the TV on or in bed with a book in hand, Yuta crawling into Johnny’s lap and peppering his cheeks with kisses as much as he mottled his neck with dark marks. It was a simple life for the both of them, but it left them both fulfilled to the max, and Yuta always made sure to mention how great, how amazing and sweet Johnny was to the sour old lady who griped about the peonies when she asked about the rose gold-haired man’s love life.

But as Johnny got more into the job, things started to change. First, it was the time he woke up: at 3 in the morning instead of 6, jolting Yuta awake. He would quickly get ready, occasionally letting himself being pulled into Yuta’s sleepy embrace before he left. The daily visit to the flower shop became every other day, then once every week, then only if Johnny wasn’t busy at that time. Johnny would come back to the apartment at 8 in the night, 9 even, hurriedly eating the dinner that Yuta set on the table for him before flopping on the couch, sighing at the comfort. Sometimes he didn’t come home until 1 in the morning, and Yuta would hear the bedroom door open and feel the mattress dip as Johnny pulled the comforter over himself, falling into a restless sleep. 

And the kisses stopped. At least, the kisses that they used to share stopped. Now, they seemed labor intensive, slow, almost as if Johnny’s fatigue and stress and the purple bruises under his beautiful eyes were transferred through each one. This Johnny was worrisome to Yuta, and he couldn’t count how many times he’s wanted to punch that horrible boss of his boyfriend’s for not letting him rest. 

And now this. Why would he make ANYONE work on Christmas Eve? Yuta scowled at the thought, his fingers gripping at the fuzzy blanket wrapped around his shoulders. If there was one thing that Yuta would ask Santa for if he could, it would be that Johnny would get a better job, one that would at least let him come back and be the normal, healthy Johnny, the Johnny that Yuta fell in love with. The free spirited one that somehow also acted like a stern dad at the same time, the one who hummed Queen songs as he made scrambled eggs in the morning, the one who had driven in the pouring rain three years ago to come and get a feverish, shivering Yuta when he was stranded on the side of the road by his then boyfriend, covering the shorter man with his own jacket when he got there, cracking jokes to lighten the mood on the way back to Yuta’s place and nursing him back to health, falling asleep on the couch after he had made sure that Yuta was okay.

But how could he wish that? This job was his passion; on the days that Johnny didn’t automatically pass out when his head hit his pillow, he would tell Yuta about his day, dull eyes becoming bright as he recounted the places he went to, the people he met, the stories he heard. He loved the job, didn’t realize what it was doing to him. Classic, selfless, dumb Johnny. Yuta smiled softly at the thought.

“If anything,” Yuta mused to himself. “I just want to be able to kiss him all day and make him forget all the stress…” His eyes rolled over to the side, gazing at the arrangement on the table. Holly and poinsettias, with accents of currant and mistletoe. Mistletoe…

Yuta’s lips curved into a wry smile as he got up, making his way to the arrangement. This was gonna be a very interesting Christmas.

𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟱𝘁𝗵, 𝟭𝟬:𝟭𝟱 𝗮𝗺, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺.

Johnny’s eyes fluttered open and he yawned, his hands automatically rubbing his eyes. It had been awhile since he had slept in… It certainly felt nice. He had come back the night before to Yuta snoozing on the couch, his blanket askew, shivering slightly as goosebumps covered his arms. Johnny had carefully lifted him up and walked to their shared bedroom, tucking him in before changing into some sweatpants and climbing into bed. Yuta had come to his side, snuggling into his shoulder, and instead of gently brushing his hands away, Johnny had pulled him close to his chest, relishing the warmth that he had missed for months now.

But as Johnny woke up, he realized something was off. Yuta wasn’t in his arms anymore. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen. Johnny started to sit up, a bit confused, when he felt something brush against the top of his head. Looking up to get a better look, he took the small branch tied on the headboard with one hand, studying its leaves, which were painted a light gold at the tips. “What….”

“It’s mistletoe.”

Johnny looked to the source of the voice, his eyes widening when he saw Yuta leaning against the doorframe, dressed in a deep red sweater and dark wash jeans. The morning light illuminated his hair and glinted off his irises, turning them a burnished gold, and his lips were curved into a small smile.

Call it the Christmas spirit, but Johnny fell in love with Yuta all over again in that moment.

“Merry Christmas, my love,” Yuta said softly, walking over to the bed and sitting in Johnny’s lap. Taking the sprig of mistletoe from Johnny’s palm, Yuta studied it before pressing a soft kiss to the other’s lips. Almost automatically, Johnny kissed back, his arms wrapping around Yuta’s waist, chasing his lips like his life depended on it. But Yuta pulled away before anything else could happen, walking back towards the door. “Get ready and I’ll have breakfast ready for you.”

Johnny huffed a bit before getting out of bed, showering and dressing in a cream sweater and jeans before walking outside to the kitchen. Sitting at the island, he observed as Yuta flipped a stack of pancakes onto a plate and slid it and some utensils towards him, the plate also furnished with bacon and eggs. 

An awkward silence ensued between the two of them. It had been so long since they had eaten a meal in each other’s presence that suddenly they didn’t know what to do or say. 

“I-” Johnny opened his mouth just as Yuta said the same, both giggling as they realized what happened. “You go first, Yuta,” Johnny pressed.

“Well… I had an idea for what we could do for today.” Yuta leaned on the island, propping his elbows on the granite and smiling. “I have a game for you.” He said, prompting Johnny to raise his eyebrow.

“What game?”

“A game involving this.” Yuta waved the mistletoe sprig from before around. “There’s mistletoe around the apartment in hard to see places. Once you’re near one, I’ll tell you, and depending on the color of the leaves, you have to do something.”

“Why just me though?” Johnny frowned. Yuta pouted back, walking over to Johnny and sitting in his lap, looking directly into his eyes. “Because… You’ve been busy. This is for you to relax and get back in the groove of things. Into the groove of being with me.” Yuta said, the last part almost a whisper.

Johnny took in a sharp inhale at the last part. Honestly, he regretted taking the job. He loved it, sure.. But seeing his boyfriend like this, all worried and lonely, killed him on the inside. He hated waking up at 3, having to pull away from Yuta in the morning just to get to work. He couldn’t even get up to pick up lunch for himself in his office building, let alone walk the block to the cafe and get sandwiches for him and Yuta. When he came home after a long day, he could feel the Japanese man’s eyes study him as he ate his dinner and collapsed on the couch. And when they kissed, he could feel the hesitation in it, and Yuta’s touches became more delicate, almost like Johnny was a figment of his imagination. The worst feeling was when his boss kept him late, and he walked into the apartment at 1 in the morning and got into bed. He knew Yuta was awake, could hear the shift in breathing and the sad sigh as he pulled the comforter over his body and fell asleep, too tired to even pull Yuta close and regretting that fact.

“Okay… I’ll play this game.” Johnny said quietly, pulling Yuta to his chest and burying his face in the crook of his neck. “How does one start the game?”

“Well.. First, eat.” Yuta giggled as he cut a piece of pancake and tilted Johnny’s head upwards, placing the piece in his mouth. “How did I do?”

Johnny chewed a bit and beamed, the dark shadows under his eyes lightening. “It’s delicious, you have some.” He took the fork from Yuta and fed him a bite, laughing as Yuta said, “They’re definitely better than the last time you made pancakes.”

“Don’t even start on that…” Johnny grimaced, recounting the last failed attempt at pancakes (they nearly burned down the apartment when Yuta kept on distracting Johnny with silly renditions of vines).

After they ate, the pair opening the presents under the Christmas tree (Yuta got a field guide to flowers as well as a pair of Balenciaga mules, while Johnny got a new set of precision lenses and a fuzzy Gucci cable knit cardigan) and then settling on the couch with mugs of tea, watching Home Alone (Yuta’s favorite). At a lull in the movie, Johnny got up to put their empty mugs in the sink. As he washed them out, Yuta paused the movie, a small smile on his face. “Johnny…”

“Yes, love?” Johnny dried the mugs and put them on the drying rack, turning to look at Yuta. Yuta only smiled and pointed up above Johnny’s head, and Johnny laughed lightly when he saw the mistletoe on the hood of the stove ventilator, leaves painted a glittery red. “What do I have to do?”

Yuta began to giggle as he said “Give me your best rendition of All I Want For Christmas Is You.” 

“Are you kidding?’

Yuta shook his head, laughing harder. “You have to do it..” Johnny sighed and put the drying cloth down, reaching into one of the drawers and pulling out a whisk. “Background music, please,” He said in a posh accent, Yuta nodding and putting on a karaoke video of the song.

As the music started, Johnny began to put on a show, dramatically moving and acting every inch a diva, sauntering around the kitchen and pretending the whisk was a microphone. Yuta marveled from the couch, his shoulders shaking as he laughed. When the song finished, Johnny finished his routine with a final flourish, giggling as soon as he was done. “Was that good?’

“Amazing.” Yuta chuckled. “Now come here and get your reward.” 

Johnny set the whisk down and walked back to the couch, where Yuta pulled him down for a kiss, his lips lingering on the other’s for a while before he pulled away.

“Now,” Yuta said, a small smile on his face. “Let’s finish this movie.”

They finished the movie and made lunch, Johnny whipping up grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and tomato soup (they both had agreed on their first Christmas together that baking a whole ham would kill the both of them, so the sandwiches and soup had become a tradition), then the doorbell rang, signaling the entrance of Jaehyun and Taeyong, Yuta and Johnny’s best friends. Every Christmas the two couples would converge at either of their apartments and play video and board games, keeping tally of who won each round of Mariokart or Monopoly. The person who won the most rounds won a little prize. This year, Jaehyun won, and he got a mess of chocolate and a small trivia calendar (“It’ll make you smart!” Johnny teased, earning him a solid sock in the arm). Johnny had another mistletoe challenge in the middle, having to do the Fortnite dance challenge in double time. The session ended with Jaehyun, Yuta and Taeyong rolling on the floor with laughter, while Johnny pouted, Yuta soothing that pout with another kiss (“Ewww, too much PDA…” Jaehyun quipped, earning a glare from Taeyong; he immediately shut up after that).

Soon it was nightfall, and Jaehyun and Taeyong left after endless hours of laughs and jokes and mugs of hot cocoa. Yuta and Johnny lounged on the couch, Johnny’s head in Yuta’s lap, Yuta’s fingers running through the other’s hair. They both were settled in a comfortable silence when Yuta pulled out the sprig of mistletoe from the morning, holding it above his head. 

“Another challenge?” Johnny said softly, looking up at Yuta. Yuta nodded and said, “I want you to promise me something.”

“Promise what?”

“Promise me that you will take time off to rest. You’re wearing yourself out, Johnny… Sometimes I don’t even recognize you anymore.” Yuta put his arm down and sighed. “I miss you, you know? You sometimes get really impersonal.. I don’t really feel like your boyfriend when that happens, I just feel like… Someone who lives here. That’s all. I want you to be able to relax and be with me and for things to be like they were again. I know it’s too much to ask.. But I want you to myself at 6 in the morning. I want to be able to weave flowers in your hair doing our lunch break. I want to make dinner with you and eat it with you at the table every night and end our day on the couch or in bed together. I want our kisses back. I just want you.”

Johnny listened quietly, and when Yuta finished, he nodded gently. “I promise. I promise all of that. I got promoted yesterday so I can pick my own hours... Things’ll be how they used to be, maybe even better than they were. I’ll be the best boyfriend to you, and I won’t leave you alone like how I’ve been doing for the past few months. Never again. I promise.”

“Good. Now kiss me, you idiot.”

Johnny obliged, sitting up and pulling Yuta into his lap, their lips gently, almost tentatively meeting, like they hadn’t done this in a while. But as soon as they met, it was like they went into autopilot: Yuta looped his arms around Johnny’s neck, his fingers tangling through his hair and making the kiss deeper while Johnny’s arms rested around his waist. Their lips chased each other, almost as if they were desperate for each other, addicted to each other like a drug, and it was Yuta that pulled away first, breathless but smiling ear to ear.

“I love you a lot, you know that?” Johnny whispered, a smile on his face to rival Yuta’s. “You’re the best present under the Christmas tree.”

“That’s so corny, Johnny..” Yuta giggled and buried his face in Johnny’s neck. He couldn’t help but smile, because the old Johnny was slowly coming back. Johnny smiled and pressed a kiss to Yuta’s neck. “It’s true though… I’m so grateful for you, for somehow finding something in me in the beginning and sticking out through all of this, even though you deserve so much more than a workaholic.”

“Shut up, silly..” Yuta pulled away and took Johnny’s face in his hands, peppering kisses along his cheekbones and jaw. “I love you more… Always have and always will. I’ll always be in love with my little workaholic.”

“I’m not little-” Johnny began to protest, only to be silenced by Yuta’s lips on his. They stayed like that the whole night, giggling and kissing, Johnny cracking dumb jokes and Yuta playfully smacking him, laughing until his stomach hurt. And slowly, the little rift between the two men that had formed through months of unexpressed worry and hurt began to close. Slowly, but surely. All with a sprig of mistletoe.

**Author's Note:**

> so that was my first ever ao3 work... phew.
> 
> the oneshot was actually for a little competition between a friend and i, where we had to write a holiday oneshot by christmas. this is the end result of frantically typing for the majority of christmas eve after thinking about the idea for the whole month. 
> 
> i hope you enjoyed it, and send me comments and things on my twitter @knjyoungho.
> 
> happy holidays! ~ ani


End file.
